Teaching third graders about suicide? Fine, I could see that as being a potential issue they may have to deal with. Masturbation or anything relating to sex? Yeah, these are not issues that are of relevence to eight year olds (or at least SHOULDN'T be). What purpose does it serve to teach it to them? I remember in fifth grade both HIV education and Drug awareness were part of the curriculum. This is a school of suburban white kids, not a minority face to be found. HIV and Drugs were not problems we were likely going to face for many more years, if ever. And if the day ever came that we were confronted with those issues, we sure as hell weren't going to have flashbacks to fifth grade when it came time to decide whether or wear that condom or use that needle.

spman:Teaching third graders about suicide? Fine, I could see that as being a potential issue they may have to deal with

What kind of horrible childhood did you have?

I think for sex and drugs it's about getting the brainwashing in early. You're impressionable enough at that age that a police officer coming to your school telling you drugs are bad makes a difference that lasts.

/ My school did DARE in 5th grade. I knew of a couple kids experimenting with pot in 6th.

spman:Teaching third graders about suicide? Fine, I could see that as being a potential issue they may have to deal with. Masturbation or anything relating to sex? Yeah, these are not issues that are of relevence to eight year olds (or at least SHOULDN'T be). What purpose does it serve to teach it to them? I remember in fifth grade both HIV education and Drug awareness were part of the curriculum. This is a school of suburban white kids, not a minority face to be found. HIV and Drugs were not problems we were likely going to face for many more years, if ever. And if the day ever came that we were confronted with those issues, we sure as hell weren't going to have flashbacks to fifth grade when it came time to decide whether or wear that condom or use that needle.

We should really stick to this system we got goin, where we treat kids like little fragile angels who cant stand hearing about societal issues or learning about the good bad and the ugly about our country and culture. As far as I can tell, thats been working out great so far.

serial_crusher:spman: Teaching third graders about suicide? Fine, I could see that as being a potential issue they may have to deal with

What kind of horrible childhood did you have?

I think for sex and drugs it's about getting the brainwashing in early. You're impressionable enough at that age that a police officer coming to your school telling you drugs are bad makes a difference that lasts.

/ My school did DARE in 5th grade. I knew of a couple kids experimenting with pot in 6th.

In the sense that even children deal with depression, and are aware of the concept of death and the permanence of it, I could see suicide being an issue children might deal with. On the other hand, unless you live in an abusive household with absent or neglectful parents, no normal kids under the age of maybe 12 is dealing with sex and drugs, and by the time they do, fifth grade is going to be nothing but a fleeting memory.

spman:serial_crusher: spman: Teaching third graders about suicide? Fine, I could see that as being a potential issue they may have to deal with

What kind of horrible childhood did you have?

I think for sex and drugs it's about getting the brainwashing in early. You're impressionable enough at that age that a police officer coming to your school telling you drugs are bad makes a difference that lasts.

/ My school did DARE in 5th grade. I knew of a couple kids experimenting with pot in 6th.

In the sense that even children deal with depression, and are aware of the concept of death and the permanence of it, I could see suicide being an issue children might deal with. On the other hand, unless you live in an abusive household with absent or neglectful parents, no normal kids under the age of maybe 12 is dealing with sex and drugs, and by the time they do, fifth grade is going to be nothing but a fleeting memory.

It is not unusual, and certainly not abnormal, for children to masturbate in kindergarten or early elementary school.

jjorsett:Aaaaand of course the article itself says nothing about parental outrage, it's part of the dialog subby is hosting in his/her head. Welcome to Fark, it's not news it's making shiat up.

The point of the programs t teach this stuff is more sinister than just teaching masturbation. We all start at about the same point mentally in our inhibitions....we dont like to talk or think about things because we're raised by our parents and other adults and the generational divide makes us uncomfortable discussing sex and death with our parents. But in order to get us to a point where we are ok with many political advocacy positions, our inhibitions need to be broken down as quickly as possible.Hence the push to introduce many adult, moral, and ethical advocacy positions into elementary school.....well before children are prepared on their own to seek out that information.

The example would be... It took me many years to be comfortable around homosexuals....not because I was phobic, but because as a teenager I had to deal with my own shyness around sexual issues. I had to become comfortable around my own sexuality then around girls, then around couples then around gay men. Its a learning process and it can be applied to all political issues. But it is important to one group of advocates that people like me be prepared to march for gay rights directly out of high school. So they want these issues pushed onto children years before they are comfortable exploring them naturally.

To paraphrase someone else's comment that I cannot find now..... a man teaching an 8 year old girl how to have sex and masturbate would go to jail....but a teacher doing the same thing in the name of destroying that childs inhibitions with respect to gay sex is considered a social advocate and an open minded person.

Just let the kids mature normally, they will form comfort levels with various uncomfortable issues in due time.

Talondel:spman: serial_crusher: spman: Teaching third graders about suicide? Fine, I could see that as being a potential issue they may have to deal with

What kind of horrible childhood did you have?

I think for sex and drugs it's about getting the brainwashing in early. You're impressionable enough at that age that a police officer coming to your school telling you drugs are bad makes a difference that lasts.

/ My school did DARE in 5th grade. I knew of a couple kids experimenting with pot in 6th.

In the sense that even children deal with depression, and are aware of the concept of death and the permanence of it, I could see suicide being an issue children might deal with. On the other hand, unless you live in an abusive household with absent or neglectful parents, no normal kids under the age of maybe 12 is dealing with sex and drugs, and by the time they do, fifth grade is going to be nothing but a fleeting memory.

It is not unusual, and certainly not abnormal, for children to masturbate in kindergarten or early elementary school.

Yet when I masturbate in the elementary school, I get arrested and thrown in jail. Nice double standard.

Talondel:spman: serial_crusher: spman: Teaching third graders about suicide? Fine, I could see that as being a potential issue they may have to deal with

What kind of horrible childhood did you have?

I think for sex and drugs it's about getting the brainwashing in early. You're impressionable enough at that age that a police officer coming to your school telling you drugs are bad makes a difference that lasts.

/ My school did DARE in 5th grade. I knew of a couple kids experimenting with pot in 6th.

In the sense that even children deal with depression, and are aware of the concept of death and the permanence of it, I could see suicide being an issue children might deal with. On the other hand, unless you live in an abusive household with absent or neglectful parents, no normal kids under the age of maybe 12 is dealing with sex and drugs, and by the time they do, fifth grade is going to be nothing but a fleeting memory.

It is not unusual, and certainly not abnormal, for children to masturbate in kindergarten or early elementary school.

Yes, but at that age it doesn't require any further discussion beyond "Stop that, it's inapropriate to do those things in public".

Yesterday my 12yo daughter and I were driving into town for something and she was telling me about this novel she was reading where "the girl put her mouth on the boy's [yatchee]. That's disgusting. They call it a blow job". Three sudden lanes of traffic later and trying to dry the coffee I spilled all over myself, I almost passed out.

I was not ready for that conversation/thought process/exposure for another oh 6 years or so.

huchipapa:Yesterday my 12yo daughter and I were driving into town for something and she was telling me about this novel she was reading where "the girl put her mouth on the boy's [yatchee]. That's disgusting. They call it a blow job". Three sudden lanes of traffic later and trying to dry the coffee I spilled all over myself, I almost passed out.I was not ready for that conversation/thought process/exposure for another oh 6 years or so.

So your daughter is giving boys BJs already?!!

/also not looking forward to my daughter becoming a teenager, but I have years to go before I need to buy a shotgun

huchipapa:Yesterday my 12yo daughter and I were driving into town for something and she was telling me about this novel she was reading where "the girl put her mouth on the boy's [yatchee]. That's disgusting. They call it a blow job". Three sudden lanes of traffic later and trying to dry the coffee I spilled all over myself, I almost passed out.

I was not ready for that conversation/thought process/exposure for another oh 6 years or so.

legion_of_doo:huchipapa: Yesterday my 12yo daughter and I were driving into town for something and she was telling me about this novel she was reading where "the girl put her mouth on the boy's [yatchee]. That's disgusting. They call it a blow job". Three sudden lanes of traffic later and trying to dry the coffee I spilled all over myself, I almost passed out.I was not ready for that conversation/thought process/exposure for another oh 6 years or so.

So your daughter is giving boys BJs already?!!

/also not looking forward to my daughter becoming a teenager, but I have years to go before I need to buy a shotgun

Well, some sex ed is certainly relevant at that age (girls can start menstruation at a young age). As long as they divided up the classroom boys/girls and the girls have a female teacher and the boys a male teacher...what's the problem? Masturbation, lots of kids younger than school age do that. Just tell them it's normal, and do that alone and move on to the next topic. What a bunch of prudes!